Fibromyalgia and the “Lyrica Cure” Myth

I am sure that many of you have seen the Lyrica commercials on television with many attractive people swearing that they have been healed of their fibromyalgia by Lyrica. I’m here to tell you folks that Lyrica being a cure is a myth.

If you have fibromyalgia and you’re thinking of trying Lyrica, I wouldn’t try to talk you out of it because it is effective in reducing the symptoms of fibromyalgia in about 20% of the people that are affected. However, at the same time you should be prepared to have a drastic increase of your symptoms when you try it. In fact the Pfizer website actually shows that the side effects of Lyrica are the same symptoms you may already have from the Fibromyalgia. So you may get some of these symptoms on top of what you already have and it may make some of the symptoms you do have worse. Read the following list:

tiredness

dizziness

headache

dry mouth

nausea

vomiting

constipation

gas

bloating

”high” or elevated mood

speech problems

difficulty concentrating or paying attention

confusion

difficulty remembering or forgetfulness

anxiety

lack of coordination

loss of balance or unsteadiness

uncontrollable shaking or jerking of a part of the body

muscle twitching

weakness

increased appetite

weight gain

swelling of the arms, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs

back pain

Now tell me if the symptoms listed above wound familiar. Irritable bowel syndrome, sleep disorders, congnitive problems, pain and swelling… If you have fibromyalgia these symptoms may sound very familiar because you may already have them.

If that’s not bad enough, the NIH says you need to call your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following:

blurred vision, double vision, or other changes in eyesight

hives

rash

itching

blisters

swelling of the eyes face, throat, mouth, lips, gums, tongue, head or neck

shortness of breath

wheezing

muscle pain, tenderness, soreness, or weakness, especially if it comes along with fever

chest pain

In other words, your life may be in danger if you have this reaction.

I would like to tell you that even if you are the 20% and Lyrica does help you, it’s only covering up the symptoms and not really addressing the cause. So the pain is still there, you just can’t feel it and the nerve dysfunction is still there but you don’t notice what else the nerves are affecting.

I have seen time and again that people with fibromyalgia respond to chiropractic care if they commit to the time it will take to undo the trauma that started the fibromyalgia in the first place. I belong to a group called the Fibromyalgia Centers of America and this cooperative of doctors have found similar results in that nearly 100% of the time fibromyalgia is related back to some trauma to the body that triggers the fibromyalgia.

If you are suffering with fibromyalgia don’t wait and continue to suffer. It’s possible that I can offer you hope. I would ask you to look at a prior post on Fibromyalgia and to watch a video on what other people are saying.

Please let me know what you think of this article. I would love to share your experience.